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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. clip — a video
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — electricity
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a line
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — the most important part
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — a price
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. clip — for paper
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com